Showing posts with label norm coleman. Show all posts
Showing posts with label norm coleman. Show all posts

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Al Franken's Victory Speech, Accepting the Minnesota U.S. Senate Seat (Video)



Coleman Concedes

Home Page

Norm Coleman Concedes to Al Franken (Video)

ABOUT TIME....takes money to keep a battle going...



Home Page

Minnesota Supreme Court Declares Al Franken the Winnner of the U.S. Senate Race

THIS WAS BY A UNANIMOUS DECISION

Governor Tim Pawlenty (R-MN) said he will sign the certificate if the MN Supreme Court's decision for Franken, and the Secretary of the State of Minnesota is on record to sign the certificate.

Norm Coleman's only option is to take this to federal court and at this point, "GOOD LUCK WITH THAT ONE." It takes money for court battles, do the Republican Party want to spend their money on this? I don't think so.

It is over for Coleman, who should have conceded MONTHS ago.

The Minnesota Supreme Court on Tuesday declared Democrat Al Franken the winner of a tight U.S. Senate race over Republican Norm Coleman, which should give Democrats the 60-seat majority they need to overcome procedural obstacles and push through their agenda.

Coleman has said in published reports he is unlikely to appeal the state court's decision to the federal courts. Under state law, the court's decision gives Franken the right to occupy the seat, which has been up for grabs since last November's election.

Minnesota Republican Governor Tim Pawlenty has said he will certify the election winner based on what the state court decides.

If the decision holds up, Democrats will control 60 of the 100 Senate seats -- enough to overcome Republican procedural roadblocks in a clear boost to President Barack Obama's agenda.

Democrats hold a solid majority in the U.S. House.

One thing that sticks out is that the Minnesota Supreme Court orders that the Franken be certified the winner. That means not too much wiggle room for Coleman, AT ALL.
The Minnesota Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered that Democrat Al Franken be certified as the winner of the state's long-running Senate race, paving the way for a resolution in the seven-month fight over the seat.

Source
MSNBC

Home Page

Sunday, June 28, 2009

Governor Pawlenty WILL sign the certification from Minnesota Supreme Court

Remember, Pawlenty is not running for re-election, but IS running for the Republican nomination for 2012.

Governor Tim Pawlenty (R-Minn.) said Sunday he has no plans for further delay in certifying the results of the state's disputed U.S. Senate election so that Republican Norm Coleman can pursue a federal court challenge.

Pawlenty told CNN that he would abide by whatever ruling the Minnesota Supreme Court makes in the contest, where Democrat Al Franken appears to have an upper hand.

"I'm prepared to sign [the certification] as soon as they give the green light," Pawlenty said. “I’m not going to defy an order of the Minnesota Supreme Court. That would be a dereliction of my duty."

Pawlenty said he had no plans to slow up the process to allow federal litigation to play out, but would abide by any federal court stay Coleman might obtain. "If that doesn’t happen promptly or it drags out for any period of time, then we need to move ahead,” Pawlenty said.

It is over for Norm Coleman.

Source

Home Page

Monday, June 15, 2009

This does not sound like Norm Coleman is going to "stand down" when the verdict comes in from the Minnesota State Supreme Court

Well, it does not.

Former Sen. Norm Coleman (R-MN) spoke to the Minnesota state Republican convention this past weekend -- explaining that his disputed Senate race is not just about him, but the issues that matter to the country.

Norm broke the ice with a joke. "People ask, how are you doing -- you know, the race, it never ends," he said. "And I tell them I've been counting and recounting my blessings since November."

He got serious, too:
"But winning isn't about me. You know, it's not about me or even us as Republicans. It really is about this country. And about the future of the country," said Coleman. "The one vote in the United States Senate, the one vote is a difference between possibly people losing the right to a secret ballot in a union election, or not ... One vote, one vote between the potentiality of a slippery slide into the path of government-controlled health care. If I am in the U.S. Senate, we're not gonna have a government-controlled health care. It's not gonna happen."



TPM

Home Page

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Norm Coleman owes Al Franken around 95K

That's it right.

Around $95,000. Says a three judge panel. It does not get any easier for the soon to be, ex Senator of Minnesota.

A three-judge panel today required Republican Norm Coleman to pay Democrat Al Franken $94,783 to cover court costs in the seven-week U.S. Senate trial.

The ruling, by the panel that heard the trial, approves an administrative decision last month by the Ramsey County clerk's office. Franken's team had sought $161,510, but a deputy county clerk rejected a request that Coleman pay Franken for his cost of obtaining public records that made up many of the exhibits in the trial and some other expenses.

Also not included are $16,000 in attorneys fees that Franken wants Coleman to pay for sanctions the panel imposed after Coleman's lawyers failed to disclose information about Republican election judge Pamela Howell before her testimony.

Coleman will also have to pay interest on the $94,783 until the debt is paid. read more here.....

Home Page

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty (R-MN) will not seek re-election in 2010

Well, one can only imagine what he will do when the Coleman/Franken verdict is in from the Minnesota Supreme Court. That verdict is speculated to come by the end of June, or sooner.

One can only imagine that he is gearing up for a 2012 Presidential run, so to keep those real hard core conservatives happy, don't be surprise if he does not sign the certificate needed to seat Al Franken, if Franken prevails from the Minnesota Supreme Court verdict.

"Pawlenty's decision not to run for governor could be a lead-up to a decision to run for President," said Jacobs. "And Pawlenty's decision to run for President makes it more likely, not less, that he will support Coleman's efforts to appeal to the federal courts when he loses in the Minnesota Supreme Court. So I think the bottom line here is, Gov. Pawlenty's political agenda may end up driving how he handles the Senate recount."

Politics, ain't is grand.
Republican Tim Pawlenty said on Tuesday he would not seek a third term as Minnesota's governor but deflected questions about whether he would run for U.S. president in 2012.

"I'm not ruling anything in or out," the 48-year-old Pawlenty told reporters in Minnesota, adding he planned to offer his party new ideas.

"I have 19 months left in my term -- this is not a wake," Pawlenty said, joking that he planned to tend to his lawn.

A lawyer and state legislator elected governor in 2002 and re-elected four years later, Pawlenty was an early supporter of Republican presidential nominee John McCain and was considered a potential running mate for the Arizona senator.

McCain, who went on to lose the 2008 election to Democrat Barack Obama, instead chose Alaska Governor Sarah Palin who, along with Republicans Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee, are considered potential presidential candidates in 2012.

"I think we need new ideas and new faces in the party. It's something I'm going to do as a volunteer," Pawlenty said. "We have to be a party of addition not subtraction, and I think I can help with that effort." read more here....

Home Page

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Pressure escalating in Minnesota, "SEAT FRANKEN"

Governor Tim Pawlenty (R-MN) has an uphill battle. He is between a rock and a hard place. How?

He is a glowing new or semi-new face in the Republican Party. He has pressure from his party to keep his boot on Franken's neck and not sign the certificate to seat him in the senate. This pressure from the GOP will continue, even if the Minnesota Supreme Court sides with Franken on the win for the senate seat against Norm Coleman.

If Pawlenty does not sign the certificate, he is playing politics, clear and simple. He is going against the will of the people in his state and he is allowing this to drag on. If Pawlenty does this, bad move.

We all know that Al Franken won this seat, in a mandatory recount because the vote total was too close. During the recount and every court appeal, Franken has come out ahead and he is stil 300+ votes to the north. It is over for Coleman.

And Coleman? The polls are out and the people of Minnesota want this over with and Coleman to concede. If Coleman does not, he can forget any other political aspirations in Minnesota. He will be forever remembered as the grumpy, sourpuss, sore loser who dragged a senate race to the courts, knowing he did not have the votes and knowing he LOST.

So, what will Pawlenty do? I hope the right thing.

DNC Chairman Tim Kaine penned a letter to Tim Pawlenty on Tuesday, asking the Minnesota Governor to persuade Norm Coleman to concede and, short of that, sign the certification of Al Franken's election once the state's Supreme Court makes its final ruling.

The letter is the latest in a growing effort to ramp up the pressure on the governor - and Republican Party as a whole - to seat Franken, as the Minnesota Senate race drags on more than six months since the actual election. In his note, Kaine claims it is "all but indisputable" that Franken won the election and urges Pawlenty to "use [his] influence to bring this process to an end by asking Norm Coleman to allow his neighbors and yours, their full representation in Congress."

"However," Kaine adds, "if Mr. Coleman refuses to concede and this case is heard and decided by the Minnesota State Supreme Court, I urge you to commit to signing an election certificate for the rightful winner as soon as the Court issues a ruling in this case. To allow this to process to continue into the federal courts for no other reason than to deny for as long as possible the seating of another Democratic Senator would make what has been a bad situation for Minnesotans even worse. I urge you to do everything within your power and influence to bring this process to an end." read more here....

Home Page

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Jesse Venture on Larry King, "...waterboarding is torture...Coleman is a hypocrite..." (Video)

Ventura is a former Navy Seal, he should know.

[Water-boarding] is torture... It's drowning. It gives you the complete sensation that you are drowning. It is no good, because you -- I'll put it to you this way, you give me a water board, Dick Cheney and one hour, and I'll have him confess to the Sharon Tate murders.






Source

Home Page

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Again, I told you about Specter...............

Today Arlen Specter, the new Democratic Senator from Pennsylvania is cheering for Norm Coleman, to win the senate seat in Minnesota!!! But as he performed his oopsy, Specter then had to back pedal.

With your departure from the Republican Party, there are no more Jewish Republicans in the Senate. Do you care about that?

I sure do. There’s still time for the Minnesota courts to do justice and declare Norm Coleman the winner.

Of course, our new Democratic Senator had to profusely back pedal his statement and state categorically that it was one of those infamous times that he “misspoke”.
“In the swirl of moving from one caucus to another, I have to get used to my new teammates,” he said. “I’m ordinarily pretty correct in what I say. I’ve made a career of being precise. I conclusively misspoke.”

Asked who he’s backing now in elections, Specter said, “I’m looking for more Democratic members. Nothing personal.”

I don’t know about you, but Specter is a fair weathered Democrat at best and I am being kind here. I don’t know if it is his age or what, but the cheerleading should be for his new team, not for the team he just left!!

One thing is for DAMN SURE, I definitely agree with kos:
What the hell? He's so devoid of any conviction that one day, justice requires Coleman to be declared the winner, and the next day, it doesn't?

He's an empty, hollow, shell of a man. There is just one value that drives him -- political self-preservation.

But we have one thing in common. We both are looking for more Democratic members. That's why I hope Sestak primaries his ass.

Amen on all that!!

Home Page

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Soon-to-be-Senator Al Franken is hiring staff

Good news. Because when this mess is over, he is the junior senator from Minnesota. Last hurdle the Minnesota Supreme Court and a note, Franken has won all challenges thus far and is still leading with a 300+ vote count over Norm Coleman.

Senator-elect Al Franken today announced that Drew Littman, a longtime Capitol Hill veteran, has agreed to serve as his Washington-based chief of staff.

Littman, who has advised many Senators-elect, including Franken, on the transition process, was most recently the head of his own consulting practice, Littman Associates, and an adjunct professor at American University. He began his career on Capitol Hill twenty years ago as a policy aide for then-Rep. Barbara Boxer, and has since served as a subcommittee staff director and a Senate Policy Director.

Al Franken:

"With Drew leading our team, I know that my office will be able to uphold the Minnesota tradition of excellent and responsive constituent service. With his years of experience and his expertise in helping new Senators hit the ground running, Drew has become a trusted advisor and a valuable resource as I prepare to take office. I will continue to count on him as I work with Senators from both parties and the rest of our state's fantastic delegation to serve the people of Minnesota, make progress on President Obama's agenda, and move our country forward."

Coleman has left a very sour taste with Minnesotans, he has lost, won't concede and quite frankly is just an embarrassment.

Source

Home Page

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

morning joe to Norm Coleman, "It's Over, Norm. It's Over." (Video)

Norm Coleman, the panel has spoken. The Minnesota Supreme Court will speak as the panel. What is next? Supreme Court? But Norm, the votes ARE NOT IN YOUR FAVOR!!! I know you hate losing to a former satirist, comedian, but it is what it is. IT IS OVER. CONCEDE



And I don't quote morning joke much, but hey, he is right on this one.

Home Page

Monday, April 13, 2009

Norm Coleman Case Dismissed.

Al Franken will be the NEXT senator from the great State of Minnesota.

Coleman does not have many options left and again, when you don't have the vote total in your favor, not much you can do.

After a trial spanning nearly three months, Norm Coleman’s attempt to reverse Al Franken’s lead in the recount of the U.S. Senate election was soundly rejected today by a three-judge panel that dismissed the Republican’s lawsuit.

The judges swept away Coleman’s argument that the election and its aftermath were fraught with systemic errors that made the results invalid.

“The overwhelming weight of the evidence indicates that the Nov. 4, 2008, election was conducted fairly, impartially and accurately,” the panel said in its unanimous decision.

In rejecting Coleman’s arguments, the panel said the Republican essentially asked it to ignore Minnesota election requirements and adopt a more lenient standard allowing illegal absentee ballots to be counted.

The panel also rejected Coleman’s comparison of Senate election problems to those in the 2000 presidential race in Florida.

Unlike Florida, Minnesota has statewide standards for absentee voting that are “uniform and explicit and apply in every county and city,” the panel wrote.

What next? Franken likely seated by May or June the latest. Coleman will appeal, but it will be swept quickly away finally by the Minnesota Supreme Court. By this time, Franken will be seated in the senate, remember the senate is not the courts. The only stinker is what Governor Pawlenty will do. If he has any aspirations for a higher office, he needs to accept the decision, sign the certificate along with the Secretary of State, and MOVE ON.



h/t Daily Kos

Home Page

Thursday, April 2, 2009

Governor Tim Pawlenty needs to certify Al Franken as Minnesota's next senator

...and Norm Coleman? He needs to CONCEDE. IT.IS.OVER.

The legal fight between Al Franken and Norm Coleman is headed to the desk of Gov. Tim Pawlenty — a no-win predicament for a Minnesota Republican with his eye on a White House run in 2012.

Franken won big Tuesday when a three-judge panel allowed the review of no more than 400 absentee ballots in a race he currently leads by 225 votes. Coleman’s camp says an appeal to the Minnesota Supreme Court is coming; once that’s done, the dispute lands in Pawlenty’s lap.

If Franken’s ahead at that point, Pawlenty will have a choice: sign the election certificate that will allow Democrats to seat Franken in the Senate or play to the Republicans whose support he’d need in 2012 by withholding the certificate while Coleman challenges the election in the federal court system.

Will Pawlenty play politics here? Will he let this drag out? The vote total has NOT CHANGED, we are 4 months past the election in November. It is time for partisian politics to be put aside and time for Governor Pawlenty to do what the people of Minnesota voted him to do, govern and govern fairly.

Norm Coleman it is over. To even attempt to run this and keep this going to the Supreme Court is ridiculous. Again, the vote total has not moved and it is not in your favor. The Minnesota Supreme Court judges who is overseeing this is one democrat, one republican and one independent. If your own man is voting against you, your case is OVER.
Democrats accuse Coleman, Cornyn and other Republicans of stalling — denying Minnesotans their second senator so as to deny Democrats their 59th vote in the Senate.

Several Democratic aides and senators said Wednesday that Senate Democrats would probably try to seat Franken if he gets an election certificate even if Coleman seemed likely to keep pursuing his challenges. But the aides and senators said that, without a certificate, Democrats are unlikely to try to seat Franken since the GOP would probably attempt to filibuster such a move.

That leaves Pawlenty in the hot seat — and whatever he decides could have implications in 2010 and 2012. Up for a third term next year, Pawlenty risks angering Minnesota Democrats and independents if he refuses to sign an election document for Franken — and a loss if he runs in the governor’s race would imperil a presidential run in 2012. But if he signs the certificate and Coleman seeks a federal appeal, he risks infuriating conservatives who despise Franken — and thereby imperiling his chances in the Republican presidential primary.

Again, Governor Pawlenty, DO THE RIGHT THING. Sign Al Franken's certificate so he can be seated in the senate and this travesty is OVER.

Source

Home Page

Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Minnesota Supreme Court Says No More Counting for Norm Coleman

ABOUT TIME. I MEAN ABOUT DAMN TIME.

A three-judge panel has dealt a blow to Norm Coleman’s efforts to retake the lead in the Minnesota Senate race, putting at most 400 ballots in play — far fewer than what the Republican pushed for during the seven-week recount trial.

In its third week of deliberations, the court issued a ruling Tuesday afternoon ordering absentee ballots to be turned over to the Minnesota Secretary of State’s Office by April 6. The ballots would then by be counted in open court by April 7.

In the minutes after the ruling was issued, Democrats began trumpeting the decision, saying that Coleman’s ability now to retake the lead is a tall order. Franken currently holds a 225 vote edge.

"We are obviously pleased," said Mark Elias, chief legal counsel for Franken, in a conference call with reporters.

It is now TIME for Norm Coleman to do the right thing, CONCEDE. This has dragged on long enough.

Home Page

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

DNC Chairman, Governor Tim Kaine is correct about Norm Coleman conceding in Minnesota

Coleman is doing ANYTHING to string this out. The sad part, for him, is that the totals have not changed for HIS FAVOR. NO REVOTE.....Seat Al Franken!!!!

"The people of Minnesota have spoken. It's time for Norm Coleman to accept the voters' decision, do what is best for his state and country and stop standing in the way of a Senator being seated. The stakes for our country are too high right now to suggest that the results of a democratic election, exhaustive recount, and legal proceedings be thrown out just because Norm Coleman doesn't like the results."

Source

Home Page

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Minnesota, when are you going to let Franken be seated?

I have had one eye on Minnesota, since I lived there for five years.

As the drama of dragging this court crisis out for the last remaining senate seat in Minnesota continues, my sister informs me that Norm Coleman has lost much good will with citizens of the state. Many across the board respected the mandatory recount, don't believe that there is excessive fraud and abuse with the voting process there, and are just ready for this to be wrapped up.

I have written before, Coleman is just that type of candidate that brings the "I can't believe he is running" candidate out to well, end up beating him at the ballot box. First, remember Jesse Ventura, the wrestler and sometimey actor, winning the governorship in Minnesota? Here was a man who was LITERALLY a disc jockey in the state, running for the hell of it, got the young folk riled up, and ended up beating Coleman. Now, we have a former Saturday Night Live alumnus, a known comic, a known satirist, who came back to Minnesota, raised the money needed to win the DFL label in the state, and beat Norm Coleman by a mandatory recount. Really, it does not get any better than this.

Now the court system has taken place, per Coleman's request and it does not look good Coleman. Remember, the person who is the leader always has the advantage, which is Franken. It means that Coleman must find votes, which he has not been able to do.

The Minnesota election court handed down two rulings tonight, one of which should be regarded as an unambiguous defeat for Norm Coleman -- and the other should probably leave Al Franken cautiously optimistic.

First, the court completely denied Coleman's motion to launch a class-action suit on behalf of all 11,000-plus voters whose absentee ballots have still not been counted. The court found that the state's election laws make clear that individuals may apply to have their ballots counted, but that groups cannot be created and represented for this purpose.

The court also handed down a summary judgment on Franken's efforts to get some of his own votes counted, and they've given him a go-ahead on 12 individuals to be accepted and counted at a later time. And to give you an idea of how strict a standard they're using here, there are 38 others on Franken's list they're refusing to count at this time.

That kind of stringency isn't very good news for Coleman, as he's trying to get a lot of his own votes in that the court hasn't ruled on yet. And considering he's the one who's actually behind right now, this question has a lot more urgency for him.

Source

Home Page

Saturday, February 14, 2009

Republicans really don't want Al Franken seated in Minnesota

The Republicans may be celebrating, but in the background they are gnashing at the teeth. For anyone to believe that the Republicans want this stimulus package to be successful, you need to switch what you are smoking. I really wanted Franken to be seated before this bill had to go through the swinging doors, it would have been easier for Obama and maybe some things may not have been stripped down as it was. Franken is the 59th senator for the Democrats, one from filibuster.

Republicans want Norm Coleman to string it out as long as possible, but things may be wrapping up sooner in the state of 10,000 lakes.

The judges in Minnesota's U.S. Senate trial said in a preliminary ruling Friday that Republican Norm Coleman has not yet shown a widespread problem with absentee voters being denied the right to vote.

The three-judge panel ordered that rejected absentee ballots from 12 of 19 categories should not be counted in the Senate race. Coleman, who is trying to undo Democrat Al Franken's 225-vote lead, had wanted to count ballots in all but three of the categories.

Sure the Republicans stood together, but the moderate section of the group defected to work with the Democrats. Yes, gnashing of the Republicans teeth. And to imagine that Norm Coleman could lose to a comedian and had already lost to a tv wrestler when he was running for governor may be too much for him to take.
Having just seen what President Barack Obama can do with 58 Democrats in the Senate, Republicans are more determined than ever to keep him from getting a 59th.

Especially if the 59th is Al Franken.

Franken, the former comedian, leads Republican Norm Coleman by 225 votes in a “Groundhog Day” of an election that dawned more than three months ago and shows no signs of ending soon.

Which is exactly how Senate Republicans want it. The National Republican Senatorial Committee held a ritzy fundraiser for Coleman in Washington this week, helping him raise the money he needs to keep his legal challenges alive through a trial and then a lengthy legal process if he loses.

Again, the Republicans don't care, nor give a damn, at least most of them. And as it continues, Amy Klobuchar is the only senator representing Minnesota.
Democrat Amy Klobuchar also is eager for it to end. Being the lone Minnesota has been a “challenge,” she told Politico, saying her home-state office has been flooded with phone calls and said her staff has seen its casework double in size.

“Every day I say it will be resolved in a month — then the day changes and I say the same thing,” Klobuchar said.

Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), chairman of the Rules and Administration Committee that would oversee a dispute in the Minnesota Senate race, expressed confidence that Franken would win the case within a month.

“I would doubt anything is going to change,” Schumer said. “I’d say the odds are very, very, very high that Franken is the winner.”

In the end, it does not look like Coleman has been able to make any ground in turning the numbers around, though his Republican colleagues in the senate have been raising money for the continuing defense. Sometimes it is just better to take the high ground, for the good, in the end you look better. Get that message, Norm?

Home Page

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Minnesota Senate Seat Catch-Up

Well, let's find out what is going on with this Minnesota Seat.

First, Al Franken asked for the certification so he can be seated, probably for the Inauguration and he was told one word, "No" by the governor and secretary of state.

The Minnesota law is pretty straight forward.

"Minnesota law is very clear on when a certificate of election can be issued," Ritchie said in a statement. "Neither the governor nor I may sign a certificate of election in the U.S. Senate race until all election contests have reached a final determination. Even if the governor issues a certificate of election prior to the conclusion of the contest phase, I will not sign it."

In the meantime, Justice Alan Page, appointed a bi-partisan panel to review Norm Coleman's election case.
The panel, named Monday by state Supreme Court Justice Alan Page, includes one judge each from Hennepin, Pennington and Stearns counties.

The three may give up the next two months of their lives to deal with the complicated election case filed by Republican Norm Coleman. Coleman's case claims Democrat Al Franken, who ended the two-month Senate recount with a 225-vote lead, won't be ahead once all votes are correctly counted.

The panel's tripartisan background may help assuage partisan fears that politics will drive the next stage of the tough, testy and tight Coleman-Franken fight.

Their speed also may determine how quickly the next senator will be known.

And during all of this, Minnesotans are getting fed up with Coleman dragging this out. Many feel the process of the mandatory recount was fair, honest, and open. Many also feel that Coleman should chuck it up and CONCEDE.

Coleman is asking the court to reverse the count that was performed for all eyes to see. That is a tough pill for Coleman to swallow, because in the end I believe Al Franken will be victorious, as he was at the end of the recount. Coleman will have to deal with losing to a former wrestler and a comedian. That is the fact.

Great diary on all the court filings, here
Franken's Team latest court filing
Source

Home Page

Friday, January 9, 2009

Minnesotans want Norm Coleman to CONCEDE

I lived in Minnesota for six years. Yes, I froze my "you know what off", but one thing I learned from living there, when the election is over, it is over. If you lose, you stand on the podium, gracefully and concede, move on.

The mandatory recount has commenced and ended. The votes spoke for themselves. It was clear transparency and bi-partisianship. Everyone has agreed. The canvass board certified Al Franken the winner and Norm Coleman is now eating sour grapes.

Norm Coleman lost the race for governor to Jesse Ventura (the former wrestler) and now to Al Franken (the comedian). Those are hard acts to follow. He is fighting for his political survival but it is truly over.

After looking at the circus in Illinois, the inauguration less than 2 weeks from now, people are OVER the election. Norm Coleman needs to concede.

When Norm Coleman announced on Tuesday that he was contesting the Minnesota election result, he said he was doing it to ensure that the will of the people was followed. But a new SurveyUSA poll shows just the opposite: Minnesotans want this thing to end.

The numbers: 49% disagree with Coleman's decision to contest the election, compared to 42% who agree. There also is no great constituency for the Coleman campaign's claim that the recount was slanted against them, with 56% saying it was fair to both candidates and only 31% saying it was unfair to Coleman. When the question is phrased as to what to do next, 44% say Coleman should concede, 31% want to hold a new election, and eight percent want to have another recount.

Source